The Art of Power and Love ( A Medici Masters of Florence the Magnificent fanfic)

Chapter 4

Lorenzo had the gift of being curious and feeling a deep wonder about everything.
If his younger brother Giuliano was more lively and troublemaker, Lorenzo was a tranquil and prudent boy, but it didn't mean that he wasn't able to feel profoundly.
He grew up carrying the heavy responsibilities that his family put on him. Specially now that his grandfather and father were both ill, he wished he could grow adult faster and lead his family.
He was smart enough to understand that all the studies and the efforts his family asked from him were precious for his future.
His family depended on him, he had no choice. He was born to lead them and to protect Florence.

If he was free, he would have devoted himself to the arts. He would have chased beauty as his mentors taught him. Beauty.
He immediately linked that word to that new girl that his grandfather grew fond of.
Lorenzo felt helplessly jealous: not of her who was a stranger who easily won his grandpa's full affection, but of Cosimo himself, whose charisma was able to attract everyone's attention and love.
Lorenzo spotted them walking together in the villa and in the accademia studios, wishing that he was brave enough to join them and be the one who carried the meals into her room. He wished he wasn't just a sixteen year old boy, but the master of the house to whom she had to show her gratitude for being accepted there.

The boy sighed loudly to wake himself from those childish thoughts, stepping into the courtyard attracted by the sound of clashing swords.
He imagined it was his younger brother who was practicing, but when he recognized who was duelling against Bernardo, he gasped and jumped forward to stop them.
"Hey! Stop!" He shouted staring bewildered at the swordmaster and Ginevra, who both stopped fighting and turned to him.
"What are you doing?" The boy asked confused, been thinking for a moment that the man attacked her, but when he noticed Bernardo's eyes lingering on her he felt jealousy teasing him as a sting.
Bernardo held himself on his sword "Practicing, isn't it obvious? She's even more skilled than you. You should stop preferring your books to your sword".
"You can use a sword?" Lorenzo asked the girl in an unintentional mocking tone, lowering his eyes to the thin sword she used.
"Do you want me to prove it?" Ginevra reacted and pointed her sword to him, but soon realized it wasn't a good idea, so she immediately lowered her arm regretting it.
He seemed he wasn't bothered, in fact he accepted the challenge, the thought of duelling with her was shaking him deeply "Yeah, why not?".
"Don't you have other practice to deal with now, sir?" Bernardo asked refusing to hand him his sword.
Lorenzo pouted and stepped back, promising to himself to get that change soon.
He smiled at her, who smiled back, and walked to his hunting practice, his mind recalling when he spotted his grandfather carrying the fainted girl into his arms. And Lorenzo dreamed to become that kind of hero for her someday.

His obsession for her grew secretly day by day. He took her side each time he heard bad words referred to her.
His beloved grandmother despised her as most of the women into the villa did and Lorenzo had to reason with her, bearing her mocking comments that compared him to Cosimo.
He tried to draw a portrait of her, but he was better at writing poems.
Frustrated he ripped the drawing when he heard some rapid steps and saw Ginevra and his grandfather running out of the courtyard to reach a carriage waiting on the road.
Lorenzo took the initiative and followed them, stopping Cosimo before he jumped up "Where are you going?".
"To the church" the man said simply climbing up to sit in front of the girl.
"Can I come with you?".
Cosimo seemed disagreeing, then he impatiently sighed "Alright, come".
The boy smiled and jumped up to sit next to him. But even if he tried to join their conversations all the way long, he felt uncomfortable, like he was annoying them with his mere presence.
Silence fell when side by side they walked into the family's church.
Each of them could feel the sound of their heartbeat echoing together with their soft steps.
Ginevra embraced herself, following the eldest of the trio, who headed to a marble tomb where the name Lorenzo de Medici was carved. Cosimo's younger brother, died too prematurely, murdered.
Ginevra heard a lot about him in the villa. He was then nothing but a ghost, and still he was dearly remembered.
Seeing his firm expression, she could tell that Cosimo was deeply touched. The wound never healed.
She was right next to him, she wished she could wrap her arms around him and hug him tightly to chase away her fears. But she couldn't. She just hugged herself and stifled her emotions.
She lowered her head, imagining too clearly the sorrow of such a terrible loss.
Her wet eyes noticed another smaller tomb that she thought it was a marble step.
There were some words carved on it.
"La rosa di Lorenzo" she narrowed her eyes and read softly "Lorenzo's rose?".
"She was the girl he loved. She wasn't noble. They couldn't be together when they were alive, so.." Cosimo's voice faded to silence.
Ginevra regretted asking. She left his side and stepped away to let him alone with his brother.
The living Lorenzo followed her like a shadow and stared at the girl stopping in front of the altar, doing the sign of cross and kneeling.
When she stood up, the boy was so close to her that their clothes brushed, but she kept staring at the paintings and colored windows in front of them.
"I've been praying so much for your grandfather's healt. Hoping that He will listen, even if He can't listen to me forever" she whispered so low that only the boy could hear her.
"I know" he recalled the times he spotted her sneaking into their family's chapel "I pray a lot too".
She turned her eyes to him and gave a little smile, then glanced at Cosimo praying in front of the tomb.
"How is it..to be named after him?" She asked hesitantly.
"It's heavy. Sometimes when they call me, it's like they're not calling me, but him. And I'm always worried I disappoint them".
She crossed his eyes, hit by his words "You could never. Everyone's proud of you. But I guess it's kinda burden for you".
"It's not. I'm honored to have his name. Perhaps it's like he's still alive through me" he smiled uncomfortably.
The girl gaped, but before she could find something to say, she noticed Cosimo was approaching them.
Speechlessly they left the church, then Cosimo announced his intention to pay a visit to his new palace while Ginevra was free to roam in the city for a couple of hours.
She enthusiastically agreed.
She already knew where to go.

Walking in the familiar streets made her worries from the visit to the church vanish for a while.
Still all her thoughts whorl around Cosimo, the man who gave so much to that city.
She wished she was some years older and he was some years younger so her impossible dream could become true. Instead she had to accept her cruel destiny.
Tears filled her eyes, but when she recognized a boy working in a stable in front of her, she shook away her thoughts and smiled in relief.
He soon noticed her and stopped his work to approach her.
She ran to him, who caught her into a suffocating hug.
He asked her to tell everything about her new life and she gladly did it, feeling free at last to reveal all her real thoughts and impressions.
Just when she ended, she realized she spoke too much about Cosimo.
"It seems like you found your guardian angel, who's also the master of Florence" Giacomo commented a bit bitterly "I hope he won't dare to disrespect you".
"He always respected me since we first met. I think I can trust him".
"And risk everything? So you love him" he sentenced coldly "It could be a good thing. Or the worst thing. Don't let your feelings blind your reason. I've always admired your wit, but this time listen to my advice".
"I love him like a father".
He frowned to show he didn't believe her.
She sighed and whispered "I wish I can save him. He has not much time left to live".
"Is it what he told you?".
"It's what I saw" she snapped with a broken voice "The gout is killing him and I heard the doctors saying that he has just few weeks left. I know this is his last journey to the city. It's so unfair".
Giacomo stood in a respectful silence for a while, then asked soflty "So this is why you want to stay by his side?".
"Yes. But I'm worried for his family too".
"Why?".
"Cosimo and his son Piero. They're both sick. And Lorenzo is still too young to lead the family. Enemies will take advantage from it".
"Well, it's not your concern, isn't it?".
She shot him a bad glance "They're the masters of Florence. Your city. Our city. Do you want to see the rival families start a war again? The Medici brought this city to the glory. It can't be all wasted just because of the gout".
"So what do you want to do? Seeking a cure?".
"I want to help the family, in any way. They gave me a place where to live, food and protection. I must pay back somehow. And I must keep it secret from them. I'll become a spy for them".
"Ginevra, I've just told you not to let your feelings cloud your mind. You're throwing yourself into stuff that is too big for you. Stop it. Leave that family".
He extended a hand but she retreated "I can't. And you can't tell me what to do. You know I'm good at seeking informations. And...".
She gaped, realizing she told more than she wanted.
"And what?".
The girl shrugged "Nothing".
But he knew her well enough to know when she was lying.
"Ginevra? Should I worry?".
She brushed her hands on her face, pondering what to say, then surrendered and decided to tell the truth. Giacomo was the only one she felt she could trust and she kept so many secrets to him since the first time they met.
"Some days ago I spotted someone who haunted my past" she whispered "He's an impostor now and I think he could have recognized me too. I'm in danger if I stay here in Florence. Only the Medici are powerful enough to protect me from him. And in the meanwhile I'll work in the dark to help them against their enemies".
Giacomo swallowed hard "Who's this enemy of yours? You never told me much about your past".
"It's because I want to protect you from it".
"But if I don't know how can I protect you?" He complained, then asked with worry  "Who is he?".
Ginevra gaped for a while, thst name was strangling her but was too dangerous to be pronounced aloud, so she simply said one word.
"Satan".